Eastleigh

Eastleigh's population grew between the last two censuses. At the same time there were changes in religion, housing tenure and marriage.

The population reached nearly 130,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Eastleigh increased by 7.8%, from about 116,000 to 125,000.

The addition of just over 9,000 people means this area's population increased at a similar rate to the overall population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Eastleigh was home to, on average, 11 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Eastleigh

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Eastleigh increased by three years, from 38 to 41 years.

This affluent area had a slightly higher average age than the South East and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just under 3,900 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 2,000.

About 11% of people in Eastleigh are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Eastleigh by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

More homes without children

Eastleigh saw the South East's second-largest rise in the proportion of households without children.

In 2011, just over 6 in 10 (60%) households in Eastleigh had no children, compared with 59% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child decreased from 32% to 30%.

Across the region, only West Oxfordshire saw a greater rise in the proportion of households without children (from 60% to 62%).

The proportion of households without children was lower than across the South East

Percentage of households without children across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Eastleigh

The number of people in Eastleigh that described themselves as having no religion increased from just under 18,000 in 2001 to about 36,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 15% to 28% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Eastleigh that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 89,000 in 2001 to just over 77,000 in 2011 (from 77% to 62%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from just under 7,500 to just under 8,500 (from 6.4% to 6.8%).

About 980 people (0.3%) said they were Muslim, up from just under 360 in 2001 (0.8%).

The population without a religion in Eastleigh increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Eastleigh by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Eastleigh

The percentage of Eastleigh residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 6.9% to 7.1% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.1%) reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities, compared with 2.4% in 2001. The percentage of Eastleigh residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 91% to 90%.

The proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 6.8% in 2001 to 6.7% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 6.8% to 6.5%.

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Eastleigh that rented privately increased from 5.7% to 12% in the decade to 2011.

The percentage that lived in social housing remained close to 12%, while the percentage of Eastleigh households that owned their home decreased from 81% to 74%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 10% in 2001 to 16% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Eastleigh increased by 6.6 percentage points

Percentage of households in Eastleigh, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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